3 Nervous Kids Walk On Stage, But Once “The Prayer” Starts Everyone In The Audience Gasped

By Robert Winthrop - Updated February 22, 2019

When three kids took to the stage of The Voice Kids to sing an epic song performed by vocal legends Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, the judges and audience members never could have imagined that they’d be so blown away. Measuring up to the likes of Dion and Bocelli as an adult is one thing, but these are children singing here, and their talent is undeniable.

During a battle on The Voice Kids, Matteo, Claudia, and Matteo Markus perform the song “The Prayer” and they initially appear so nervous that you might think this won’t go well. The opening music begins as the camera catches a glimpse of each young singer preparing for the performance. Then Claudia begins the song and the first note is sheer perfection, with the audience erupting in cheers and the judges impressed from the start.

The boys then take a turn each and they’re equally impressive, then each singer chimes in with a part, their parents teary eyed in the wings, and the audience on the edges of their seats, while a judge appears overcome with emotion. She rises to her feet once all three voices combine, clearly moved by this touching performance.

When they hit the final note, the crowd erupts and the kids give a mini-encore!

Interestingly, the original version of the song was recorded as two separate pieces — one in English by Dion, the other in Italian by Bocelli. “The Prayer” went on to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999. It also earned a well deserved Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000.

Among the many comments left on the YouTube video of the performance were those who wondered how anyone could choose who would move on to the next round, as one person pointed out: “How could you choose between those three? That was so amazingly beautiful. I was crying.”

There was also plenty of debate over who viewers of the video found to be the best singer, with one person remarking: “Matteo Markus is way better for me. He held all those high notes amazing and his low notes were flawless. Claudia has such a gorgeous voice, she has an Ariana Grande tone.”

Others agreed that Claudia was the one to beat, with one person noting: “Girl was the best, the two boys were great undeniably, but the girl had such a mature and smooth voice.”

Another commenter translated so that people could fully understand why the one judge was so emotional, writing: “For the people who don’t understand what the man at the beginning says: ‘Matteo, Claudia and Matteo Markus will perform the favorite song of Lena’s mother.’ That’s why she is emotional like that.”

Others explained that Lena chose Matteo Markus to go to the next round, with one commenter noting: “I personally agree with her choice. I do prefer Matteo Markus a little better. His voice is a lot more pure than the other two. But Matteo and Claudia both have amazing voices too. This would have been next to impossible to decide.”